In the sphere of international diplomacy and politics, the United Nations (UN) Conference of the Parties (COP) assemblies hold significant importance in tackling urgent global environmental challenges. These gatherings bring together nations worldwide to negotiate and devise solutions for a sustainable future. The negotiation tables of UN COP assemblies, characterized by complexity and diverse interests, provide a distinctive platform to investigate the influence of cognitive biases on integrative decision-making aimed at achieving the objectives of international agreements.

This study delves into the cognitive shortcuts and predispositions that profoundly affect negotiation outcomes and the efficacy of global agreements. Its aim is to comprehend how cognitive biases shape negotiation processes, agreement quality, and global environmental cooperation. The overarching goal is to advocate for the adoption of a principles-based negotiation framework, particularly the Harvard Negotiation Project, to bolster effective negotiations amidst conflicting interests.

The thesis concludes by underscoring the necessity of addressing cognitive biases for successful international negotiations and presents a new theory that straddles cognitive psychology and negotiation theory, the Cognitive-Behavioral Negotiation Theory (CBNT). Ultimately, it contributes to the broader discourse on climate diplomacy and highlights the importance of mitigating cognitive biases to forge sustainable international agreements for environmental governance.